ENGLAND didn't win many friends at this World Cup but their supporters did.

Once again, England fans who were once pariahs at international tournaments left for home with praise for their behaviour from Frankfurt to Gelsenkirchen ringing in their ears. There were isolated problems but nothing like the widespread violence that was predicted by the more pessimistic commentators.

The sighs of relief we breathed in Japan and Portugal in the last four years have been replaced by rounds of applause.